Nick Diaz Ready to Accept A Fight With Georges St-Pierre in the UFC

If the UFC is looking for another welterweight challenger to face champion Georges St-Pierre, they need look no further.

Nick Diaz is ready to accept the challenge to face St-Pierre in the Octagon, it’s just a matter of UFC owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White making him the offer. This is according to his manager and trainer Cesar Gracie, who says Diaz is more than ready to step up to the challenge and face St-Pierre next.

“Nick wants that fight. He would love to take that fight,” Gracie told MMAWeekly Radio. “Obviously, I would like to put another one of my guys against Georges St-Pierre, so we definitely want that fight.”

Since his win over Paul Daley in Strikeforce in early April, Diaz has been making noise that he wants to take a shot in the pro boxing arena for his next contest in combat sports. His trainer believes Diaz definitely wants to box, but it has just as much to do with motivation or lack thereof with no contenders currently knocking on his door in Strikeforce.

“It’s no secret Nick was a little bit burnt out. He needs a bigger challenge,” Gracie stated. “No disrespect to the guys he’s been fighting because each one of them has brought something to the table. Paul Daley hits really hard, good hands, very dangerous opponent. (Evangelista) Cyborg, great kicks, dangerous opponent. K.J. Noons really good boxing also, dangerous, and Nick beat them all at their strengths.

“It’s definitely something Nick wants to motivate him even more. I think he kind of needs that, I really do.”

Nick Diaz putting the beatdown on Paul Daley

Diaz’s move to boxing was also financially motivated, according to Gracie. When the Stockton, Calif., native signed off on his new Strikeforce deal last year, he apparently accepted less per bout in the MMA realm on the condition that he’d be able to make up the difference by boxing.

As of yet, the boxing matches haven’t happened, so Diaz is looking to push himself out there to make it happen. The flipside, however, is if the UFC and Zuffa want Diaz to face St-Pierre, with a few conditions being met, they are happy to make that fight happen instead.

“The way we had the Strikeforce contract that we signed about a year ago, maybe a little less than that, was that here we’re going to pay you this much money per fight. It’s not quite the kind of money you probably should be making, but you’re going to be able to make it up because you’re going to be able to do boxing, and that might be the more lucrative deal. There was pluses involved and one of the benefits or bonuses, whatever you want to call it, was being able to box,” Gracie explained.

“Now all of a sudden if that’s taken away, we need to re-structure the contract maybe, that’s the only thing. I’m thinking that Dana’s going to be perceptive to this and Nick also working with that. It’s just one of those things we all have to sit down and figure it out.”

Over the UFC 129 weekend, UFC president Dana White stated several times that he planned on flying out to California to meet with Diaz and Gracie to iron out Diaz’s future. White admitted that Diaz has every right to box if he wants to based on his contract, but he was hopeful to keep him involved in MMA instead.

A fight with Georges St-Pierre might be just the medicine the doctor ordered.

“However, there’s a lot of questions to be answered and really the only people that can answer the questions are Lorenzo and Dana,” said Gracie.

“It’d be great, best case scenario for us would be Nick boxes and then he goes and fights GSP. But again, the person with the answer, the guys that have the answers to all of this and can make everything happen is Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White.”

Gracie says that White has not called him or Diaz yet to schedule a meeting so they can sit down at the table and figure things out, but he believes it will happen soon enough.

Gracie also believes that stylistically, Diaz is the perfect combination of striking and ground skills to give St-Pierre fits, and if they do face off later this year he thinks it’s his fighter who will come home with a gold belt around his waist.

“I feel pretty good about that fight as far as Nick having the chance to take care of business and bring the belt home back to the U.S. and Northern California,” Gracie stated.

Now it’s up to the UFC and St-Pierre to decide if they want Nick Diaz as badly as Nick Diaz wants to face Georges St-Pierre.

While Diaz can win against GSP (this is MMA after all) that doesn’t mean he deserved a title shot. I don’t think he can win 3 in a row in this division. That is a reason he is hiding in Strikeforce. He was in UFC and he was bitten 3 in a row.

This may be smart business move but it is not fair to all other fighters in UFC who fights real competition on their way to title shot…

Cptmats

No, actually he was kicked out of the UFC for his behavior, Particularly jumping Joe Riggs at the Hospital after their fight .

ShockednAwed

And the weed – don’t forget the weed!

brandon837

I really dislike Nick Diaz. I thought Daley, who I believe is a quality fighter was going to crush him. I stand corrected, but I don’t think Diaz should be next in line for GSP. I think Jon Fitch is the 2nd best 170 pounder in the world and I’d like to see him get a rematch. Dude hasn’t lost in like 3 or 4 years.

iggie1961

One is not hiding in Strikeforce if they don’t have a UFC contract, thats just silly. Also Diaz is not the same fighter he was when he was in the UFC. In my opinion he is every bit on par with the names you dropped above. So tell me. Who, in your expert opinion, should get the next shot. Fascinate me. You pick the biggest fight.

devon1991

for real this second rate dickhead of a fighter is beyond disrespectful,and his punk ass brother is no different

ShockednAwed

Didn’t Gracie think last week that Jake Shields was going to take care of business and bring the belt back to U.S. soil, etc, etc…

This guy’s a moron, and his camp sucks. Bring on Diaz|!

judo johnson

Nick can beat GSP then he can get paid, he needs to change camps get out of the 420 world grow up a little, Nick could be great, he just needs to male some changes in his life

nogeorge101

Really? People actually think this wanna be thug is a real match for GSP? I am almost speechless! Almost! Forget the talent/ability gap between the two, Diaz has no business being in any professional organization given his attitude and off-mat antics! To most MMA fans, all we see is a scared little boy who’s daddy was not around…not a wanna be tough guy who can’t control his anger and emotions. I do want to see this fight, maybe GSP can actually knock someone out….can’t think of a better “person” than douche Diaz.

phrankthetank

Ufc 129 proved that Cesar graces boys can’t hang with top competition, Daniel roberts lost, Nate Diaz got suplexed into next week, and Jake shields lost to a guy with only one good eye(granted it was gsp). All his guys are talented enough to run strikeforce, but they’re just middle of the pack in the UFC. This is why I can’t believe Melendez is the mmaweekly no 1 lightweight. The Nick Diaz fight is only being entertained because there’s no-one else in the welterweight division and GSP doesn’t want to leave his best weight class yet.

ShockednAwed

100% agreed, well said.

camthemusicman

This is so funny.Diaz would be a great match up for GSP on so many levels.It would be an exciting fight because Diaz would make GSP fight. GSP is a great fighter no doubt,but his fights over the past couple of years have not been so disappointing.I will give him his props for sticking to his gameplans but he plays it safe a bit too much.I will agree with a lot that he does need to tone his attitude down a couple of notches,especially if he wants to fight again in the UFC.But that can’t take away from his fighting ability. Dana White was impressed by the guy in the Daley fight.That says a lot right there because Dana really isn’t impressed by annybody that much other than UFC fighters because they are not (according to Dana White) “Fighting the best fighters three times a year”. So in all seriousness,I would love to see that fight Happen.

phrankthetank

Dana white was impressed with Diaz because he owns Diaz. If he didn’t then he’d be saying something different. Dana White is a PR machine. Although I will admit Diaz is a tough dude and talented, he’s just not ufc champion talented.

camthemusicman

Diaz would make GSP fight.Diaz is a great all around fighter,what would GSP do in that fight? Diaz has excellent ground skills are just as good and some of the best hands in mma.GSP would have no other option but to fight him.Now that would make an exciting fight.Like I said before,GSP is a great fighter but he hasnt been the same since that fight with Serra.

ShockednAwed

Huh? Hasn’t been the same since he lost the belt – despite taking it back, and then beating every top contender they’ve thrown at him? I bet you thought Shields had a chance two weeks ago.

Diaz may have solid ground game, but he wouldn’t be able to take GSP down, so that’s negated. Diaz has strong, fast hands, but St. Pierre’s no slouch standing up, and certainly has the better kickboxing ability of the two.

Cptmats

Dude , you seriously need to wake up ! Diaz would be an easy fight for GSP ! BJ Penn is a bjj world champ and George mauled him on the ground ! George would take Diaz down at will and smash his face through the mat ! This little gangster faggot may be top dog in Strikefarce But he would be lucky to make top five in the ufc. He has seven losses on his record ! And three straight at one point, one of which was to a guy that GSP finished with ease. If you or Diaz even think about beating GSP you both better wake up and apologize !

nogeorge101

Do you watch MMA? Douche Diaz WOULD never even come close to any kind of win against GSP. Stupid man, just stupid.

JoeZitti

Good Nick needs a good as kicking. I can’t wait.

phrankthetank

Diaz likes to fight people at their strong point… He better start working on EVERYTHING if he wants to stand a chance against St. Pierre. Diaz has looked very impressive lately… Because he hasn’t been fighting top tier talent. The strikeforce welterweight division is very shallow. The UFC should feed Diaz to Rory McDonald, let him get suplexed through the cage like his brother.

iggie1961

It’s to bad that all this is gearing up for a fight with GSP. Actually, I’d like to see Nick Diaz the man and Nick Diaz the fighter after a year with Greg Jackson’s camp. I know it’ll never happen, conflict of interest and all. Look what that camp did to Melvin Guillard’s game.

ShockednAwed

No reason for anyone to disagree with the assessment that a year with Camp Jackson would significantly improve the game and personality of Diaz – but I believe Greg Jackson to be some sort of demi-God, capable of turning mortal men into machines.

Having said that, what has Diaz ever done or said to make you think he’d understand what Camp Jackson could do for him? Do you think, if the impossible did happen and they offered him a spot, he would take it? Or is it much more likely he’d spit all over the offer, and the people, and tell the world how he’s standing by his boys…

Pretty sure we all know the answer to that, and that’s why the majority on here believe Diaz to be a total douche.

iggie1961

ShockednAwed, I know you’re right. I simply cannot defend Diaz’s personality traits and it’s to bad because I like him so much as a fighter. I really believe he can be great in the UFC if someone would just beat the getto out of him…let’s hope that after UFC 129 Nate comes back a wiser more humbled guy. If one is open to it an asskicking can be quite educational, but alas not to be, he’ll drop weight classes and try his hand again at smaller guys.